


All In A Dream

by jupiter23



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, Frottage, M/M, also Dorian does a bad-ass, flagrant use of the 'there was only one bed' trope, then I lost all control of it after that, which evolved into flagrant use of the time-honored blanket scenario
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-02 12:16:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19198609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jupiter23/pseuds/jupiter23
Summary: Sequel to All In A Kiss.Dorian and Cullen travel together to track down some bandits, and work out what happened between them in Skyhold's courtyard.





	All In A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> So a sequel to All In A Kiss happened, because I decided I didn't want to just leave that fic where I did, and because I'm also me. 
> 
> Shoutout to jeannedarcprice, who's encouragement helped me tremendously in getting this finished. 
> 
> Also, this fic is un-beta'd, so if you see anything that looks wrong, feel free to let me know!

_He let out a moan, his fingers beginning to protest as his grip on the sheets tightened. Between his legs, a mouth and a pair of elegant,_ extremely _skilled hands worked at his cock. What he wanted to do was run his own hands through the soft, thick black hair that belonged to his lover, but he couldn’t seem to make his arms work._

 _The only thing he_ could _seem to do was lift his own head up and force his eyes open to meet the stormy gray ones that had likely been watching him as he’d worked._  

Maker _, how he wanted to come so_ badly _…._

_As his own eyes held his lover’s, the other pulled his mouth off of his cock and started kissing a trail down his inner thigh to the inside of his knee where it rested over his lover’s shoulder. He might have screamed in protest, had his lover not kept working at him with one hand while the other trailed up the other side of that same thigh._

_“Gorgeous,” his lover purred, still watching him._

_“Uunngh,” he answered, suddenly forgetting how to make his mouth form words._

_The hand on his cock stilled, and then left to brace his weight above him as he crawled up his body to pause with his lips a hairsbreadth from his own._

_“Do you want it?” His lover still spoke in that smooth purr that made him want to orgasm from his voice alone._

_“Maker_ yes _I want it,” he said, his voice a broken whine._

_A hand caressed the side of his face. “Then come and take it,” his lover answered, pulling away._

“Wait!” Cullen cried out, reaching for his vanishing lover as he snapped awake.

“Cullen?” Cassandra’s voice drifted up from his office below. “Are you alright?”

“Yes! Yes, I was…it was just a nightmare,” he hedged as he glanced down at himself. The sheet tangled around his waist was the only thing covering the fact that he was painfully aroused.

“Is it your withdrawals again? Should I fetch the healer?” she asked, her voice now closer to the opening that led out of the loft.

“No, that won’t be necessary. And don’t come up, I’m not dressed,” he added when he heard her weight creaking on the ladder.

“As you wish,” she said, the ladder creaking again as she climbed back off of it. “However, you should know that you’re late for our meeting in the war room.”

Shit. No wonder Cassandra was there; he didn’t often over-sleep, so everyone must have believed something was wrong when he wasn’t on time for their regular meeting.

“I’ll be along shortly,” he called down to her.

“I’ll let everyone know,” she called back.

At the sound of one of the doors opening and shutting a few moments later, Cullen flopped back down on the bed with a groan. His erection hadn’t waned at all in the few minutes since he’d been jerked out of one of the most erotic dreams he’d had in a long time. Probably in his entire life, for that matter. At least they were much better than his nightmares, if only because he was able to get something resembling a restful sleep.

Cullen drew in a deep breath in an attempt to will his arousal away. He could have used his own hand to correct the problem, but given that he was already running late, he didn’t want to have to explain why he needed to take extra time to clean up first.

Of course, it might have helped even more if the main source of his increasingly-erotic dreams wasn’t constantly in his thoughts. Cullen let out the breath he’d drawn in a heavy sigh. It had been three days since the Inquisitor had returned with her party from the Emerald Graves. Three days since Dorian had wordlessly responded to Cullen’s own previous assault on the mage by giving him the most heart-stopping, knee-melting kiss he’d ever received. Cullen still got slightly dazed just remembering it.

And he’d followed the Iron Bull’s suggestion (or could it have been more accurately called a command?) to go after Dorian. Only he hadn’t been able to catch up to him. Either Dorian had gotten more of a head start on him than he’d originally thought, or Dorian was just that fast. Either way, Cullen had lost track of him once he was through the public areas of the castle, and he had never been quite sure where most of Evelyn’s Inner Circle kept their sleeping quarters.

Then he hadn’t been able to catch Dorian alone after that. Between his own duties and Dorian’s research that he had likely been busy catching up on, he hadn’t had a chance to see him.

Cullen shook himself out of his thoughts. One way or another, it wouldn’t matter. Skyhold was only so big, and that was saying nothing of the fact that their friends would only refrain from meddling for so long. He and Dorian wouldn’t be able to avoid one another forever.

With that thought in mind, he disentangled himself from his sheets and got out of bed. He had a meeting to get to.

 

Dorian stifled another yawn as he scrubbed the heel of one hand into an eye. It was too damned early for meetings, especially when he’d been up until late the night before, for once engrossed in his research rather than getting drunk in the tavern.

Though he decided the blame for his cranky mood this particular morning rested with the Iron Bull, who had pulled him out of a fantastic dream where he and Cullen were having sex on top of the Commander’s desk. To make it worse, he’d actually been on the brink of orgasm when he’d been startled awake by Bull pounding on his door.

“Come on, ‘Vint! Time to get moving,” Bull had shouted through the door, continuing his assault on the heavy oak. Dorian had finally waved a hand at it, using his magic to unlock and open it when he thought he could hear one of the planks cracking.

“ _What?_ ” he snarled in the general direction of the doorway, not bothering to lift his head or open his eyes.

“Before you go back to sleep, you should know I have permission from both the boss and Josephine to drag you out of bed and carry you to the war room, dressed or not,” Bull said.

Dorian reluctantly sat up and glared over at Bull, though he might have also been squinting against the sunlight streaming in through the window. And he may or may not have been growling. “And why is it so bloody important that I be there too?”

“Something about all of us being in one place and not also terribly busy with other things,” Bull said. “Also, there’s a rumor going around about a dragon sighting.”

Dorian groaned in exasperation. “I am _not_ going on any damn dragon hunts,” he declared as he shoved the blankets off and reluctantly stood up, mentally considering what might make an effective enough bribe to keep Evelyn from bringing him along.

“Shit,” Bull suddenly muttered, planting his hands on his hips and looking disappointed as he watched Dorian sleepily cross the room to the washbasin.  “I can’t believe I owe Varric money.”

Dorian paused. “…Just what in the Void does owing Varric money have to do with anything?”

For the first time since Dorian had known him, Bull actually looked a bit sheepish. “Well…he and I might have had a bet going on what you wore to bed…”

“ _What?_ ”

“I told him you slept in the nude, but he was positive that you at least wore your smallclothes.”

Dorian glanced down at the satin sleep pants he was wearing, then rolled his eyes before he continued on to the washbasin. He wasn’t in the mood to tell Bull that he was partially correct; he _did_ sleep naked when he wasn’t the only one occupying his bed.

And he still hadn’t told Bull after he’d dressed and they made their way across Skyhold to the war room together. Knowing Bull had lost money on a ridiculous bet was payback enough for waking him up.

He was in the middle of forcing down a mouthful of tea (and rather nasty tea, too—he was reasonably certain it was burned) in his attempts to not fall asleep at the war table when the door opened and admitted Cullen. As the Commander was muttering a hasty apology for his tardiness to everyone, his eyes cut over to Dorian. He could have sworn Cullen’s cheeks had begun to redden before he quickly glanced away and took his place at the table.

Not that anyone had asked – _yet_ , no one had asked him _yet_ , it was only a matter of time before someone _did_ ask—but Dorian would swear he hadn’t been purposely avoiding Cullen. Since his display in the courtyard a few days ago, he had decided that he would bide his time. Let Cullen come to him. Yes, he knew Cullen was one of the busiest people in the Inquisition, but Dorian knew it was only a matter of time before the Commander would seek him out. Whether to apologize for the incident a couple of weeks before or in search of an explanation for the other day--or maybe both-- Dorian couldn’t have said. But he also knew Cullen wasn’t one to let go of something like what had occurred between them.

As the meeting got underway, Dorian tuned most of it out and focused on forcing down his tea. Most of what was being discussed had little to nothing to do with him, anyway.

At least, he tuned out the conversation until the dragon was mentioned.

Honestly, it wasn’t like there was any way to just _ignore_ something like that. Especially when Evelyn was declaring it a moral obligation to go after it. Or when Sera and the Iron Bull were the only two people in the room who were visibly excited about the idea while everyone else was trying very hard to look preoccupied with something else.

“Well, we _were_ the ones who drained the lake and probably upset her nest,” Evelyn was saying to Cullen. “It’s only right that we personally take care of her.”

“We also can’t wait to make a decision on this, unfortunately,” Josephine said. “There are already reports coming in that she’s drawn too close to the farms in that area and has begun attacking livestock.”

“I still don’t see why it has to be you personally,” Cullen argued. “We have soldiers in Ferelden, I can have some of them go and handle her. Or we can send word to King Alistair so he can send people.”

“May I remind you that you yourself said our forces were stretched thin throughout Ferelden fighting Venatori and red templars? And that Alistair doesn’t have the people to spare either?” Cassandra pointed out.

Cullen let out a breath. “You’re right,” he agreed. “And the unit nearest to Crestwood would still take far too long to get there.”

“Now that that’s settled, who’s going?” Evelyn asked. At least when it came to a dragon hunt, Evelyn always took volunteers. She never forced anyone along on one.

“You know we’re in,” Bull said, indicating himself and Sera, who cackled gleefully.

“I’ll go, too,” Blackwall declared. “Can’t let you two have all the fun by yourselves.”

“I will as well,” Cassandra announced. “If only so there will be _someone_ there who will ensure the Inquisitor returns in one piece.”

“Given the urgency of the matter, be ready to leave this afternoon,” Evelyn told them. Bull and Sera cheered and headed for the door with Blackwall close behind them while everyone else seemed to let out a collective breath.

“There’s one more order of business before everyone departs,” Leliana said before anyone else could leave. “I received a report earlier this morning of a possible group of bandits attacking people on the roads leading into the Frostbacks.”

“’Possible group of bandits’?” Cullen repeated.

“My agent reported they’re larger than your average band, and there appears to be a rogue templar among them,” Leliana explained.

“Which means they won’t be as easy to deal with for one lone agent, and with our army in Ferelden as shorthanded as it is, we’ll need to handle them as well,” Evelyn finished.

“We can seek them out on the way to Crestwood,” Cassandra suggested.

“You _could_ , if they weren’t in the opposite direction,” Leliana said.

“Ugh, that _is_ a problem,” Evelyn agreed.

“I’ll go,” Cullen announced. “A group of bandits with a templar among them? Shouldn’t keep me away from Skyhold for long.”

“Not by yourself, at least,” Evelyn said.

“I’ll go with him,” Dorian found himself saying just as Cullen looked like he was going to argue with Evelyn. “She’s right, you shouldn’t go alone.”

“Dorian, are you sure?” Evelyn asked.

“If there is a templar among them, you’ll be in the most danger,” Cullen added.

“While I’m flattered at your concern for my well-being, I feel I should point out that it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve ever encountered your southern templars, and they don’t frighten me,” Dorian said.

“Very well, then,” Evelyn said. It appeared for a moment that Cullen was going to protest further, but whatever argument he had was silenced when she continued. “The two of you should make arrangements to leave with us this afternoon, since I don’t think this matter should wait anymore than the dragon should.”

With that, the meeting was over. However, as Dorian left the war room, he could have sworn he caught sight of Cullen watching him leave.

 

“Do you think perhaps we should have gone with them after all?” Cassandra asked the next day as she and the rest of the group watched Cullen and Dorian ride in the direction the bandits had been sighted.

“Don’t tell me you’re worried for their safety,” Evelyn said. “Assuming the report is accurate, a group of bandits shouldn’t be a problem for either of them.”

“It isn’t their ability to handle themselves in a fight that concerns me,” Cassandra said. “What I’m concerned about is whether or not we should have left the two of them alone together.”

Evelyn considered Cassandra’s words for a moment as she continued to watch the two departing figures. “I say if they haven’t worked it out for themselves, then as soon as we all return to Skyhold, we lock them in a room together until they do.”

“I recommend using that study under the Great Hall,” Bull put in. “The only people who really go down to that part of the castle are the kitchen staff, and it would be easy enough to tell them to ignore whatever they hear in there.”

“I can get Dorian down there,” Sera said with a snicker. “I’ll tell him I picked the lock on the wine cellar.”

“I can lure Cullen in,” Cassandra announced, and every head swiveled to her to stare in wordless astonishment.  “What?” she said to their shocked stares. “Cullen trusts me, and if I tell him there is something I need him to take a look at, he’ll follow me without question.”

“Seeker, do you mean to tell us you’re actually on board with this plan?” Bull asked after a few more seconds.

“I simply have no wish to watch the two of them torment themselves—or each other—further,” Cassandra said defensively, though her cheeks were starting to turn red.

“Or the rumors I’ve heard about you are correct and you really are a hopeless romantic,” Blackwall countered.

“I know a few spells that will bar the door,” Evelyn said as Cassandra flushed a darker shade of red and one of her hands tightened into a fist. “Though Dorian will likely work his way through them rather quickly, so we’ll need something else…”

“Me and the Chargers can take turns camping out against it,” Bull suggested.

“Count me in on that,” Blackwall said. “I bet we can get Varric to join us.”

Evelyn watched as Cullen and Dorian disappeared over a hill and were finally out of sight, then turned her horse towards Crestwood, prompting everyone else to do the same. “Good,” she said. “We kill this dragon, and then we possibly celebrate by locking two of our friends up until they come to their senses.”

“It almost makes me hope they _don’t_ settle it before we see them again,” Bull said.  

 

Several hours after parting with Evelyn and the group headed for Crestwood, Dorian and Cullen were no closer to any sign of the reported bandits. All they’d encountered on the all-but-deserted road southward were thick forests and a few animals.

And it had been a quiet trip so far. For once, Dorian had resolutely decided not to start a conversation. Not that he thought Cullen would have indulged him, anyway. Cullen wasn’t the type of person to say something just for the sake of filling the silence. Although he _had_ caught glimpses of the Commander casting him almost nervous glances as they rode, but he was determined not to be the one to break the silence. He was still waiting for Cullen to come to him, so to speak.

Yet, as he glanced towards the sky, he might have to do just that. Clouds were starting to gather overhead, and it would soon become necessary to discuss their options. Would they stop to make camp, or would they try to continue on until they came to a village? Dorian was hoping for the latter, since villages usually meant inns, and inns meant beds and hot meals and _not_ sleeping on the ground while it rained.

“So, um…” Cullen finally ventured, and Dorian mentally cheered. “About, uhh….about the other—“ he stopped to clear his throat, and a hand came up to rub at the back of his neck, “—about the other day…”

Dorian glanced over at him, one eyebrow lifted askance, deliberately feigning ignorance. “What about the other day?” he asked casually.

“When you—you know…in the courtyard…” Maker help him, but Dorian wanted to burst out laughing at how bright red Cullen’s face was right then!

But he kept his face carefully neutral. “When I _what_ , exactly?”

“You know, when you—oh, for the love of the _Maker_ , you’re doing this on _purpose_ , aren’t you?” Cullen reined his horse to a halt, his nervousness and embarrassment having shifted into annoyance.

Dorian halted his horse as well. “Doing _what_ on purpose, Commander? Oh wait, do you mean putting _you_ through the same turmoil and confusion you initially put _me_ through when _you started all of this?_ ” he snapped.

Cullen’s glare deepened. “I never meant—“

In the instant Dorian drew a breath to continue his diatribe, however, a tree branch rustled nearby. His and Cullen’s eyes both darted towards it for an instant, and then back to one another. The wind hadn’t been blowing at all. Cullen’s demeanor subtly shifted from deep irritation to guarded.

Dorian continued on as if he hadn’t noticed the several other sets of feet that were trying for and yet not quite achieving silence in the forest around them. “Despite what you ‘meant,’ _Commander_ , the fact remains that that was still what happened.” His eyes had remained locked with Cullen’s the entire time, and the commander gave a subtle nod while Dorian had been speaking. As soon as the last word was out of his mouth, he flung a hand out, and lightning arced into the tree the noise had originated from.

The archer that had been perched there, waiting for them to draw closer, crashed to the ground and did not move.

“ _SHOW YOURSELVES!!_ ” Cullen bellowed into the surrounding forest as he dismounted from his horse and drew his sword and shield. Dorian followed suit, his staff in hand.

Fourteen people emerged from the trees, all brandishing various weapons. Their leader was dressed in what remained of his templar uniform, absent the heavy plates of most of his armor.

“So,” the templar drawled, striding forward a few steps. “The Inquisition’s commander himself came after us, did he? And he even brought their pet magister along!”

“Oh look, a sad attempt at an insult from someone living the life of your average carrion feeder,” Dorian shot back. The templar narrowed his eyes in response.

“Stand down, knight-templar,” Cullen ordered. “And the Inquisition will consider granting you leniency.”

The templar gave a snide laugh. “I prefer the ransom I’ll get in exchange for you and the mage, _Commander_. I’ll also take your horses and whatever else you’ve brought with you.”

“Awfully arrogant of you to assume we’ll just quietly comply,” Dorian said.

“Dorian…” Cullen muttered in warning next to him.

“Just keep baiting me, _mage_ ,” the templar snarled.

“Oh, I absolutely will, my good knight-templar!  Believe me, I derive the greatest satisfaction from baiting those that underestimate me!”

With a growl, the templar unleashed one of his abilities, one that seemed to hit Dorian square in the chest. A wave of dizziness washed over him, and he collapsed to one knee, leaning heavily on his staff as all of his mana suddenly dissipated. He thought he could hear Cullen crying his name as the bandits surrounding them all laughed derisively.

“Subdue them and tie them both up,” he could hear the templar ordering.

Even Dorian would find himself somewhat surprised later at what he did next. Before anyone else could spring into action, Dorian rushed the templar and brought his staff up, catching his sword and knocking it out of his grip. Then he arced his staff downwards, sweeping the templar’s legs out from under him and sending him crashing to the ground, the impact knocking the air out of his lungs. Finally, Dorian brought the bladed end of his staff to the center of the templar’s chest.

“As I said,” Dorian snarled down at him. “I _live_ to bait those who underestimate me.” With that, he plunged the blade into the templar’s chest and twisted for good measure.  

As he was pulling his staff free of the templar’s body, Cullen’s arm suddenly appeared between Dorian and two arrows, which bounced harmlessly off of his shield. Cullen wasted no time charging after the two archers who had fired at Dorian. Then Dorian could spare no further thought for Cullen as three of the bandits set upon him, and he was dodging swords, daggers, and battle axes while simultaneously swinging his staff through their unguarded areas to incapacitate them. Once they were down, two more came at him. Dorian made quick work of them, and then turned to check on Cullen.

The archers that Cullen had charged were now dead on the ground, as were two more bandits, and he was currently engaged with one more. Just as Cullen struck his opponent down, another bandit came up behind him, daggers aimed at his back. Dorian quickly intercepted and disarmed him, and in another swing of his staff one more bandit lay dead on the ground.

Dorian looked up to find the last two bandits running off into the forest on foot. “Smart move,” he muttered as another wave of dizziness gripped him and he found himself leaning on his staff again. And was it just him, or had it suddenly grown colder?

“Dorian! Are you alright?” Cullen sheathed his sword as he rushed over to him.

“I’m fine,” he said, attempting to wave him off.

“No you’re not, your teeth are chattering,” Cullen argued as he stared hard into Dorian’s eyes, presumably to check for an injury.

“Well, if it wasn’t so damned cold, I’d be fine,” Dorian snapped.

“It’s a side effect of the dispel draining your mana,” Cullen explained. “I promise it hasn’t gotten colder. But still, we should get to shelter soon. There’s a village about a half-hour ride from here.”

Dorian opened his mouth to argue that he’d be fine if they turned around and returned to Skyhold, but the rumble of thunder overhead had the words dying in his throat.

“I suppose we should get moving, then,” he said instead. Cullen wordlessly turned to retrieve their horses, who fortunately hadn’t gone far from the fight and were grazing on a nearby patch of grass.

 _Un_ fortunately, it took Dorian far too long to heave himself into the saddle. Yet another wave of dizziness hit him as soon as he’d arranged himself.

“Dorian, are you certain—“

“Cullen, while I appreciate your concern for my well-being, I must warn you that if you attempt to touch me right now, I may vomit on you.”

“In that case, I believe we should get out of here.” Cullen’s statement was punctuated by a distant flash of lightning, followed a few seconds later by a rumble of thunder.

Dorian didn’t need further prompting. “Lead the way,” he said.

 

By Dorian’s estimation, they’d not even made it halfway to the village before the rain began pouring. And Dorian thought himself pretty knowledgeable by now about the kinds of rain storms Ferelden was capable of producing. Between the time he’d spent outside of Redcliffe while waiting for Evelyn’s arrival and the various times he’d traveled with her through some of the other parts of Ferelden, he’d seen more than his fair share of rain.

Perhaps this particular storm only seemed more miserable than the others because of the fact that his mana still hadn’t begun returning to him. Cullen was right, it shouldn’t have felt as cold as it did. The fact that he was thoroughly soaked before they even reached the village didn’t help matters.

By the time they arrived in the village, Dorian was mentally swearing in several languages and shivering so hard he was surprised his horse wasn’t shaking as well. By the time they’d reached the inn (and _thank_ the _Maker_ there was an inn…) and a stable girl rushed out to take their horses’ reins, he was starting to lose feeling in his hands and feet.

Cullen wasted no time ushering him inside and through the crowded main room to the innkeeper’s desk.

“Afraid the only room I have left only has one bed,” the innkeeper said when Cullen asked. Dorian noticed Cullen glancing at him as he blew into his hands, trying to work some sensation back into them.

“It’ll do,” Cullen told the man, dropping more coins on the desk than was necessary. The innkeeper pocketed the coins and handed Cullen a key. Cullen led Dorian upstairs, down a hallway, and into their room.

The room turned out to be somewhat bigger than Dorian had expected, and the bed looked only just big enough for himself and Cullen to fit in. _Assuming he wouldn’t insist on sleeping on the floor_ , Dorian thought.

Of more pressing concern to Dorian, though, was the fireplace on the outer wall and the stack of wood waiting next to it. He was just contemplating how to go about building a fire while his hands were still numb when Cullen swept past him and began doing it.

“Get undressed,” Cullen instructed while he worked. “I’ll return to the stables and get our saddlebags, and I need to find the mayor so they can send someone out to take care of those bodies we left.”

Dorian opened his mouth to retort that he damn well knew he needed to do, only to find his lips and tongue had gone numb as well. Instead he bit back an annoyed growl and began trying to work on the buckles of his armor.

Only to find his fingers wouldn’t cooperate, either. Well, this was just getting better and better, wasn’t it?

He let out a grunt of frustration, and then Cullen was there, loosening the buckles for him. That was when Dorian noticed that Cullen had gotten the fire going, though he honestly couldn’t tell if the room was warming up or not.

“It’s worse than you’re letting on, isn’t it?” Cullen said gently. Dorian shot him an annoyed glare in response, though he wasn’t sure how effective it was. He wasn’t sure if he even had that much control over his face anymore.

“Judging by the face you’re making, I take it you’re unable to talk, which means it _is_ worse than you’re letting on,” Cullen said, and Dorian rolled his eyes.   _Obviously_ , he would have snapped.

Cullen let out a resigned-sounding breath as he loosened one last buckle. “Can you manage the rest on your own? I still need to go get our things.” Dorian glanced at the door and back to Cullen with a nod.

“Right, then. I’ll be back shortly.” He looked like he wanted to say something else. Instead he strode through the door, shutting it behind him.

Dorian let out another sigh and began pushing the soaking wet leather off of his body. He was deliberately being an arse at this point. Yes, he was still a bit angry over what Cullen had done. But he also wasn’t going to be able to work it out with him if he kept acting like a spoiled child.

By the time he was down to his trousers, the feeling was just beginning to return to his fingers. Yes, he was _absolutely_ acting like a spoiled child. So perhaps it was time to act like an adult.

 _Assuming I can talk by the time he returns_ , he thought as he finally worked his trousers and smallclothes off and pulled the quilt off of the end of the bed, wrapping it around himself as he settled down next to the fire.

However, as soon as he made himself comfortable, his exhaustion caught up with him, and he drifted off to sleep as he watched the flames.

 

Cullen had lost count of the number of times he’d cursed the rain by now. It had always been an inconvenience at the best of times. But a mage who was suffering the effects of having his magic dispelled? Dorian hadn’t shown it, but Cullen knew he was feeling worse than he looked. Cullen wondered if not showing one’s weaknesses was something he’d been trained for in Tevinter, or it was something life in general had taught him. Most likely a bit of both. And if that was true, it would explain why he was still upset. All the more reason to work this out with him as soon as possible.

Assuming he didn’t begin to freeze as well. He hadn’t particularly been looking forward to going back out into the rain, but he wasn’t about to just leave bodies lying in the road without some plan in place to retrieve them. After he’d found the village’s mayor and conferred with the Chantry sisters on the matter, he’d gone back to the stables to collect their saddle bags. The stable hands had been busy brushing down their horses when he’d arrived, and their things were waiting for him on a bench.  

Now he was on his way back up to their room. He hoped Dorian was okay; he actually never knew how long it took a mage’s mana to begin returning after being dispelled, though he knew it could take anywhere from hours to days, depending on the individual mage. Cullen felt a wave of guilt that he never bothered to learn any more about that particular fact, but resolved to correct that problem once they’d returned to Skyhold.

Dorian’s mana would return after he’d warmed up properly and had some decent rest. Cullen had to believe that it wouldn’t take long. Even after what he’d witnessed earlier that day—Maker, but Dorian moved in battle like he was _dancing_ ; even without his magic, he was all deadly precision and cat-like grace, and Cullen caught himself becoming distracted several times—he still didn’t want to think of Dorian bereft of such a large part of himself.

Cullen entered the room, but stopped short at the sight that greeted him. Dorian’s clothes and staff were abandoned in a pile in the middle of the floor, and Dorian himself was sitting in front of the fire, wrapped in the quilt that had been folded up at the end of the bed, arms wrapped around his drawn up knees and head resting on his arms. He was sound asleep.

Well, that confirmed Cullen’s suspicions that Dorian had been worse off than he’d looked.

He gently set the saddlebags down, then picked Dorian’s clothes up off the floor and laid them out over a chair in the corner of the room. He propped the staff up next to the table, where he left his sword and shield. Then he began stripping his own armor off, laying it over the other chair.

Once he’d changed into his spare tunic and trousers, he turned back to Dorian. The mage was still dead to the world, exactly as he’d been when Cullen had walked in. He hadn’t been gone long, but as exhausted as Dorian had to be, he likely fell asleep as soon as he’d sat down. But staying in that position couldn’t be comfortable, and Dorian would be sore tomorrow if Cullen didn’t move him.

He crouched down next to Dorian and gave his shoulder a gentle shake. “Dorian?” he tried tentatively.

No response.

“Dorian,” he tried again, shaking a bit harder.

This time earned him an annoyed moan, a furrowed eyebrow, and a half-hearted shrug of his shoulders.

“Dorian, come on, let’s get you to bed…”

He received an unintelligible mumble in response.

“Come on, you’ll be sore tomorrow if you stay like this, and I refuse to bear the brunt of your irritation.”

“’S warmer here…” came the sleepy mutter.

 _Of course_ , Cullen thought. He could have smacked himself. His mana must have still not returned. He’d naturally want to stay near the fire. He went to the bed and pulled the fur bedspread from it, then returned to Dorian to wrap it around him.

As he was settling the blanket around Dorian’s shoulders, one of Dorian’s still-chilled hands closed around his and pulled his arm around his shoulders. Then his weight shifted backwards into Cullen’s chest and his head came to rest against his shoulder.

Cullen could feel his face warming up and as he was trying to decide whether he should stay where he was or attempt to pick Dorian up and move him to the bed, Dorian’s silvery-gray eyes cracked open and gazed sleepily at him.

“I had a dream like this once,” he said, his voice still heavy with sleep. “Although if you’re a desire demon this time, it’s awfully unfair of you to attempt to possess me when I’m incapable of defending myself.”

“Dorian, I assure you, this is no dream,” Cullen said, making an attempt to pull his arm loose. Dorian only held fast to his hand. “Now, will you kindly return my arm to me?”

“I suppose this isn’t a dream,” Dorian agreed with a note of disappointment. He released Cullen’s hand.  “A desire demon would have seduced me by now. It wouldn’t be trying to escape from me. Although given the way I’ve been behaving, I wouldn’t blame the demon, either.”  

Cullen sighed, but made no move to remove his arm from Dorian’s shoulders. In fact, he settled in behind Dorian and wrapped his other arm around him as well.

“No, Dorian, you were right to be upset after what I did,” he said, resting his forehead on Dorian’s shoulder. “And my being inebriated was no excuse for the distress I caused you. Your retaliation for it was well deserved, and if you never forgive me for it, I’ll understand completely.”

“So do you mean to say you meant nothing at all by kissing me that day in the courtyard?” Dorian asked after a moment. “And that you therefore believe I was simply ‘retaliating’?”  

“What? No!” Cullen cried, his head snapping up. “It didn’t—I mean, it wouldn’t have—“

Dorian only watched him quietly, his expression carefully neutral.

“Ugh, Maker, just kill me now,” Cullen muttered, burying his face back in Dorian’s shoulder. He could feel his face flaming and he could swear he felt Dorian’s eyes boring into him.

When Cullen made no effort to speak again, Dorian decided to break the silence. “You should be aware,” he said, “that Evelyn and I had a talk while we were in the Emerald Graves. Because yes, I _was_ still angry about what you’d done.”

Cullen looked up, horrified. “What did she tell you?”

Dorian only continued to watch him with that damned neutral expression in place. “Suffice it to say, if I were simply ‘retaliating,’ I’d have blasted you with fire the moment I saw you. Or even punched you in the face.”

He looked away from Dorian and clenched his eyes shut. “How much did she tell you?”

“You tell me,” he answered, and Cullen’s eyes opened, though he didn’t look back at Dorian. “She said quite a bit, but I’d rather hear it from you.”

He slowly looked back at Dorian. “I…” was all he was able to manage before words failed him completely. When he tried to look away again, cool fingers caught under his chin and gently turned him back. When he met those stormy gray eyes again, he found the mask of neutrality had disappeared. In its place was a look he’d thought he’d only caught the barest glimpse of in the courtyard a few days ago.

“Cullen, do you know why I kissed you that day?” Dorian asked. “I’m not in the habit of toying with the emotions of others, so I can assure you retaliation was not my intention.”

Cullen’s jaw fell open, but his voice still refused to work. However, the hope-filled incredulousness must have been showing on his face, because Dorian smiled in answer.

Well, there was only one thing left to do, then. He closed the few inches between them and slanted his lips over Dorian’s. Dorian responded by sliding his hand into his hair and sliding his tongue into his mouth, and Cullen tightened his arms around him.  

From there, Cullen was lost. All he knew was the feel of Dorian’s tongue sliding against his own, his mustache brushing against his upper lip, the slide of fingers through his hair. He barely registered him turning in his arms, and couldn’t remember at what point Dorian had pushed him down to the floor. Or had he been the one to pull Dorian down? All he knew was the fire was suddenly to one side of him and Dorian was on top of him, his lips kissing a trail from his own and down his jaw to his throat.

Cullen was almost convinced he was the one dreaming. There was no way Dorian was actually here in his arms, nipping at his throat, his thigh grinding against his groin and providing the most exquisite friction to his rapidly hardening cock. The scrape of Dorian’s teeth against the pulse point at his throat, however, reminded him that this was very much real, and he let out a breathy gasp.

Maker, he’d wanted this for so long…

Dorian smiled against his throat. “For how long, if you don’t mind my asking?”

Damn, had he actually said that out loud?

“I just…so long…can’t even—I’ve been…”

Dorian’s smile broadened, and one of his hands now rested on his chest, toying with the laces on his tunic. Before anymore half-completed sentences could fall out of Cullen’s mouth, Dorian occupied it by sweeping his lips up in another round of kisses that he nearly lost himself in again. Then the hand on his chest swept lower and under his tunic, fingers tracing at the hard muscles of his chest and abdomen. Cullen moaned into Dorian’s mouth, and before he himself realized what he was doing, he pushed Dorian back and sat up, practically ripping his tunic over his head and tossing it somewhere else in the room.

The act of sitting them both up caused the blankets to fall away from Dorian’s shoulders and pool around his waist, and Cullen was suddenly gazing at more of Dorian than he’d ever seen before. He was all silky golden skin over toned muscle, and when Cullen reached out to caress it—hardly believing that he was finally getting this opportunity—he found his hand trembling.

Dorian laid a hand over Cullen’s. “Are you alright, darling? Do you want to stop?”

“No! No, I just…” he trailed off. What in the name of Andraste was wrong with his voice tonight?

But Dorian seemed to not mind his inability to put his thoughts into words. He only smiled and pressed a kiss to his palm.

“…Maker I love you so much…” Cullen found himself breathing out.

Dorian stared at him in wide-eyed shock for a few seconds before his lips spread in a grin so bright Cullen swore it could have lit up the room. “I knew it would sound better coming from you,” he said.

“Wait, Ev—Evelyn told you that…that I…” Cullen stuttered.

“Oh, don’t be angry with her,” Dorian said, pressing another kiss to his palm and drawing a breathy moan from Cullen. “She _was_ trying to placate me, after all. And if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been inspired to do what _I_ did. I might not have had the courage.” The last part was spoken softly, with his eyes averted and his gaze far away for a moment.

Cullen blinked at him in disbelief. “Not have had—Dorian, you must be one of the bravest people I’ve ever known,” he said.

Dorian stared at him, slightly stunned. His mouth opened as if to say something, but nothing came out. Was he actually…?

“I think that’s the first time since I’ve met you that I’ve seen you at a loss for anything to say,” Cullen said with a note of astonishment.

But his comment caused Dorian to recover fairly quickly. “Evelyn said something to that effect once,” he said. “And so did Bull. But coming from you, _amatus_ , I’m starting to believe it.”

Cullen wanted to ask him what he meant, but decided that was a conversation that could wait for another time. Instead he settled for a soft smile. “Given the way you were fighting earlier, I’m surprised you don’t already,” he said.

Dorian chuckled. “People were trying to kill us and you still found the time to notice my prowess in battle?”

“Well, I could say that it’s because I’ve been a soldier most of my life, so I notice that sort of thing,” Cullen answered, a grin now tugging at the corners of his lips. “However, I also seem to have a lot of trouble keeping my eyes off of you.”

The look Dorian gave him in response to that was so full of heat Cullen could have sworn his magic had returned. “Well, hopefully from now on you’ll have trouble keeping more than just your eyes off of me,” he said, moving in to sweep up Cullen’s mouth in yet another searing kiss.

As Dorian pushed him to the floor again and his kisses started travelling down Cullen’s throat, Cullen reached for the laces on his trousers and loosened them with one hand while the other carded into Dorian’s hair, which was just as thick and silky as he’d always imagined it would be. When Dorian’s mouth landed on one of his nipples, he abandoned the attempt to get them off in favor of grabbing at his shoulder and arching into the contact with a groan. Dorian smiled against his skin, and his hands slowly trailed down Cullen’s sides as his mouth began licking and nipping down his chest and abdomen.

When Dorian’s lips made it to the waistband of his trousers, his hands began slowly working them down and he began pressing kisses to all the newly-exposed flesh. Cullen began muttering half-formed curses between his moans of pleasure as his hips began twitching involuntarily. Then Dorian finally drew his trousers down and off of his legs and tossed them aside, and Cullen let out a half-relieved moan.

“Beautiful,” Dorian murmured. Cullen looked up (when had he shut his eyes?) to find Dorian staring down reverently at him. He’d pushed the blankets off at some point, and Cullen couldn’t help but gaze back with his own wordless admiration. Dorian was all flawlessly smooth skin over well-toned muscle all the way down.

When he realized Cullen was looking back at him, one corner of Dorian’s lips turned up in a smirk. He then parted Cullen’s legs with one hand and climbed in between his legs. One hand came up to wrap around his now insistently-throbbing cock while his other hand held his hips down. When he licked a hot stripe up from the base of his cock to the tip, Cullen let out a wordless cry, his head falling back against the floor and his own hands clawing at the boards on either side of him.

“Shh, _amatus_ , someone will come in,” Dorian chided gently, taking up one of Cullen’s hands in his and interlocking their fingers together. He guided Cullen’s other hand to the back of his neck. “And personally, this is something I have no intention of sharing with _anyone_.”

Cullen chuckled. “I’ll do my best tonight, but I make no promises for the future.”

Dorian’s grin broadened, and he responded by sucking the head of Cullen’s cock into his mouth. His head fell back again, though he was able to suppress most of his moan this time. From there he was lost to the sensation of Dorian’s lips and tongue, his fingers working at what his mouth couldn’t. Cullen’s hand tightened around the one clasped in his own while his free hand migrated to Dorian’s hair and _Maker_ but he knew then and there that he’d never be able to get enough of this. It already far surpassed any dream he’d ever had of the two of them doing this.

When Cullen began shaking in his effort to not thrust upwards into his mouth, Dorian pulled off of him. Cullen let out a whine in protest.

“I don’t suppose you’ve brought any oil with you?” Dorian asked.

“…Huh?” Cullen answered, trying to shake off the fog of desire clouding his mind. “Oh, I…no, I didn’t think I’d…that this would be…”

Dorian only chuckled. “No matter,” he said as he crawled up Cullen’s body and pressed a kiss to his lips. “We can make do.”

Before Cullen could try to find out what he meant by that, Dorian swept his lips up in a much deeper kiss this time. As his kisses started trailing down his jaw to his earlobe, he could also feel Dorian’s cock sliding against his own. Dorian’s free hand came between them to wrap around both of their cocks, and Cullen groaned into Dorian’s shoulder as he began thrusting into Dorian’s fist. He knew he wasn’t going to last much longer, and by the way he could now feel him trembling, he knew Dorian wouldn’t last much longer either.

It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise to him as it did when they both came at the same time. But suddenly they were both giving that one final, stuttering thrust, his orgasm vibrating down his spine as they both spilled over Dorian’s fist and onto Cullen’s stomach. And then Dorian was collapsing on top of him, panting heavily into his ear as Cullen’s free arm came up around his shoulders and held him close. He noticed as awareness began returning that their other hands were still clasped together. That, and Dorian wasn’t panting so much as breathing out words.

“I love you,” came the breathy murmur followed by a string of Tevene. Cullen smiled and held him for a few more moments before he realized that they really needed to clean up before it became a problem.

When he tried to ease Dorian off of him, however, he grumbled in protest.

“None of that,” Cullen admonished. “We’ll both regret it in the morning if we don’t clean up now.”

“ _You_ might,” Dorian argued as Cullen slowly stood up and made his way to the washbasin in the corner. He cleaned himself off as quickly as he could, then grabbed the pillows off of the bed as he turned back to Dorian.

He handed the washcloth off to Dorian. As he was cleaning himself up, Cullen tucked a pillow under his head and retrieved the blankets. When he was finished, the washcloth was tossed aside, and Cullen arranged the blankets over them both. As soon as he was settled next to him, Dorian curled into his side, one arm around his waist and one leg over his.

“How’s your mana?” Cullen inquired.

In answer, Dorian lifted the arm from Cullen’s waist and held up his hand. After a few moments, a small fireball sputtered to life, and then almost immediately blinked out of existence again. “Let’s just say it might be another day or two before I would theoretically be in any shape to follow Evelyn and the others to Crestwood,” he said. “Of course, by then, I plan to be back at Skyhold, where dragons are _not_ nesting and attacking farms.”

Cullen chuckled. “Speaking of the Inquisitor, did you notice how they were watching us leave earlier today?”

“No doubt they were plotting how to best go about meddling in our personal affairs,” Dorian said. “They’re probably even concocting a plan to lock us in a room together or something once they return to Skyhold.”

This drew another laugh out of Cullen. “Then I suppose we’d better make sure everyone learns about us before they return.”

“Or we could have some fun with it,” Dorian suggested. “We don’t tell anyone, and when they carry out their plan and lock us in a secluded room together, we immediately start fucking like nugs in heat! You can even be as loud as you want to!”

Cullen had dissolved into laughter by the time Dorian was finished. “We’ll just have to make sure to sneak plenty of oil in with us,” he said.

Dorian smiled and pressed a brief kiss to Cullen’s lips. “I can tell I’m going to be a terrible influence on you, _amatus_.”

“Maker, I hope so,” Cullen murmured as Dorian settled back down on his shoulder.


End file.
